Scioto County | |
|---|---|
 Scioto County Courthouse | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofOhio | |
 Ohio's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:38°49′N82°59′W / 38.81°N 82.99°W /38.81; -82.99 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Ohio |
| Founded | March 24, 1803[1] |
| Named after | Scioto River |
| Seat | Portsmouth |
| Largest city | Portsmouth |
| Area | |
• Total | 616 sq mi (1,600 km2) |
| • Land | 610 sq mi (1,600 km2) |
| • Water | 5.9 sq mi (15 km2) 1.0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 74,008 |
| • Density | 120/sq mi (50/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
| Website | www |
Scioto County is acounty along theOhio River in the south-central part of theU.S. state ofOhio. At the2020 census, the population was 74,008.[2] Itscounty seat isPortsmouth.[3] The county was founded on March 24, 1804, fromAdams County and isnamed for a Native American word referring to deer or deer-hunting.[4] Scioto County comprises thePortsmouth, OHMicropolitan Statistical Area. It is at the confluence of theScioto andOhio rivers.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 616 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 610 square miles (1,600 km2) is land and 5.9 square miles (15 km2) (1.0%) is water.[5] Many parts of Scioto County are heavily forested, especially in the western half of the county withShawnee State Park.
Shawnee State Forest and Park, the state's largest with over 63,000 acres (250 km2),[6] covers most of western Scioto County, and Brush Creek State Forest touches part of northwestern Scioto County. The county also has numerous parks and recreational areas in each of its townships, includingEarl Thomas Conley Park onU.S. 52 west of Portsmouth. Public lands in the county also include theWayne National Forest on the Ironton Ranger District. The 241,000-acre (980 km2)[7] forest encompasses almost 12,000 acres (49 km2) in three townships in Scioto County (Vernon 6,793.50 acres (27.4923 km2), Green township 81,695 acres (330.61 km2), and Bloom 4,008.29 acres).
Within the city limits of Portsmouth, there are 14 parks for the residents and for community use. These parks are Alexandria Park (Ohio and Scioto River confluence), Allard Park (Bonser Avenue in Sciotoville), Bannon Park (near Farley Square), Branch Rickey Park (on Williams Street near levee), Buckeye Park (near Branch Rickey Park), Cyndee Secrest Park (Sciotoville), Dr. Hartlage Park (Rose Street in Sciotoville), Labold Park (near Spartan Stadium), Larry Hisle Park (23rd Street and Thomas Avenue),Mound Park (17th and Hutchins Streets), York Park (riverfront), Spartan Stadium, Tracy Park (Chillicothe and Gay Streets), and Weghorst Park (Fourth and Jefferson Streets).[8]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 3,399 | — | |
| 1820 | 5,750 | 69.2% | |
| 1830 | 8,740 | 52.0% | |
| 1840 | 11,192 | 28.1% | |
| 1850 | 18,428 | 64.7% | |
| 1860 | 24,297 | 31.8% | |
| 1870 | 29,302 | 20.6% | |
| 1880 | 33,511 | 14.4% | |
| 1890 | 35,377 | 5.6% | |
| 1900 | 40,981 | 15.8% | |
| 1910 | 48,463 | 18.3% | |
| 1920 | 62,850 | 29.7% | |
| 1930 | 81,221 | 29.2% | |
| 1940 | 86,565 | 6.6% | |
| 1950 | 82,910 | −4.2% | |
| 1960 | 84,216 | 1.6% | |
| 1970 | 76,951 | −8.6% | |
| 1980 | 84,545 | 9.9% | |
| 1990 | 80,327 | −5.0% | |
| 2000 | 79,195 | −1.4% | |
| 2010 | 79,499 | 0.4% | |
| 2020 | 74,008 | −6.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] 1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11] 1990-2000[12] 2020[2] | |||
At the 2000census,[13] 79,195 people, 30,871 households, and 21,362 families resided in the county. Thepopulation density was 129 per square mile (50/km2). There were 34,054 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile (22/km2). The county's racial makeup was 94.88%White, 2.73%Black orAfrican American, 0.63%Native American, 0.24%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.18% fromother races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 0.60% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 30,871 households, of which 31.80% had children under 18 living with them, 52.30% weremarried couples living together, 13.10% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.80% were non-families. 26.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.50% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.96.
24.40% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 28.30% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 14.90% were 65 or older. The median age was 37. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
Themedian household income was $28,008 and the median family income was $34,691. Males had a median income of $32,063 and females $21,562. Theper capita income was $15,408. About 15.2% of families and 19.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 25.4% of those under 18 and 12.8% of those 65 or over.
At the2010 United States Census, 79,499 people, 30,870 households, and 20,911 families resided in the county.[14] The population density was 130.3 per square mile (50.3/km2). There were 34,142 housing units at an average density of 56.0 per square mile (21.6/km2).[15] The county's racial makeup was 94.4% white, 2.7% black or African American, 0.5% American Indian, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.1% of the population.[14] In terms of ancestry, 22.9% wereGerman, 15.0% wereIrish, 12.1% wereAmerican, and 10.1% wereEnglish.[16]
Of the 30,870 households, 32.2% had children under 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.3% were non-families and 27.4% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.96. The median age was 38.8.[14]
The median household income was $32,812 and the median family income was $44,122. Males had a median income of $40,876 and females $29,675. The per capita income was $17,778. About 16.4% of families and 20.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 28.4% of those under 18 and 11.8% of those 65 or over.[17]
The county was recently a swing county, as most presidential elections before 2016 were won by close margins. Additionally, it voted for the nationwide winner in each election between 1964 and 2004. Donald Trump won 66% of the county's vote in 2016, 71% in 2020, and 74% in 2024.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2024 | 22,978 | 73.59% | 8,021 | 25.69% | 226 | 0.72% |
| 2020 | 22,609 | 70.54% | 9,080 | 28.33% | 362 | 1.13% |
| 2016 | 20,550 | 66.28% | 9,132 | 29.46% | 1,321 | 4.26% |
| 2012 | 15,492 | 49.56% | 15,077 | 48.23% | 693 | 2.22% |
| 2008 | 16,994 | 51.93% | 14,926 | 45.61% | 803 | 2.45% |
| 2004 | 18,259 | 51.87% | 16,827 | 47.80% | 117 | 0.33% |
| 2000 | 15,022 | 50.17% | 13,997 | 46.74% | 926 | 3.09% |
| 1996 | 11,679 | 37.28% | 15,041 | 48.01% | 4,608 | 14.71% |
| 1992 | 11,931 | 35.48% | 14,715 | 43.76% | 6,978 | 20.75% |
| 1988 | 16,029 | 52.11% | 14,442 | 46.95% | 289 | 0.94% |
| 1984 | 18,818 | 56.65% | 14,120 | 42.51% | 281 | 0.85% |
| 1980 | 15,881 | 48.76% | 15,552 | 47.75% | 1,135 | 3.49% |
| 1976 | 13,021 | 41.35% | 18,019 | 57.22% | 448 | 1.42% |
| 1972 | 19,998 | 63.13% | 11,008 | 34.75% | 673 | 2.12% |
| 1968 | 15,310 | 47.37% | 13,836 | 42.81% | 3,171 | 9.81% |
| 1964 | 13,465 | 38.45% | 21,559 | 61.55% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1960 | 21,771 | 56.67% | 16,647 | 43.33% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 22,110 | 59.60% | 14,985 | 40.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1952 | 20,403 | 52.93% | 18,145 | 47.07% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1948 | 16,800 | 48.20% | 17,923 | 51.43% | 129 | 0.37% |
| 1944 | 17,489 | 50.51% | 17,134 | 49.49% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1940 | 19,462 | 47.02% | 21,926 | 52.98% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1936 | 17,860 | 44.23% | 22,243 | 55.08% | 277 | 0.69% |
| 1932 | 17,225 | 51.28% | 15,817 | 47.09% | 548 | 1.63% |
| 1928 | 20,997 | 73.60% | 7,425 | 26.03% | 108 | 0.38% |
| 1924 | 12,189 | 62.83% | 5,532 | 28.51% | 1,680 | 8.66% |
| 1920 | 11,871 | 58.96% | 7,682 | 38.15% | 582 | 2.89% |
| 1916 | 6,356 | 53.82% | 4,808 | 40.71% | 645 | 5.46% |
| 1912 | 3,609 | 34.22% | 3,508 | 33.26% | 3,430 | 32.52% |
| 1908 | 5,790 | 53.52% | 4,310 | 39.84% | 718 | 6.64% |
| 1904 | 5,540 | 62.56% | 2,420 | 27.33% | 895 | 10.11% |
| 1900 | 5,756 | 60.15% | 3,629 | 37.92% | 185 | 1.93% |
| 1896 | 5,492 | 59.44% | 3,658 | 39.59% | 90 | 0.97% |
| 1892 | 4,268 | 55.87% | 3,181 | 41.64% | 190 | 2.49% |
| 1888 | 4,070 | 55.02% | 3,075 | 41.57% | 252 | 3.41% |
| 1884 | 4,155 | 57.45% | 2,990 | 41.34% | 88 | 1.22% |
| 1880 | 3,639 | 55.03% | 2,912 | 44.03% | 62 | 0.94% |
| 1876 | 3,359 | 52.55% | 3,025 | 47.32% | 8 | 0.13% |
| 1872 | 2,888 | 57.53% | 2,091 | 41.65% | 41 | 0.82% |
| 1868 | 2,904 | 57.00% | 2,191 | 43.00% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1864 | 2,806 | 57.78% | 2,050 | 42.22% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1860 | 2,186 | 50.51% | 1,750 | 40.43% | 392 | 9.06% |
| 1856 | 546 | 15.60% | 1,634 | 46.67% | 1,321 | 37.73% |
Portsmouth is Scioto County's county seat. The county courthouse is at the corner of Sixth and Court streets. It was designed byJohn Scudder Adkins and constructed in 1936 as a public works project. The county jail, once in the courthouse, is now in a new facility at the site of the formerNorfolk and Western rail depot, nearU.S. 23. It was constructed in 2006.
Scioto County is the site of the state'sSouthern Ohio Correctional Facility, in Lucasville. It is Ohio's onlymaximum security prison and the site of Ohio's death house, wheredeath row inmates are executed.
The county maintenance garage is also in Lucasville.
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Scioto County's economy has been strongly based on that of Portsmouth after heavy industry replaced agriculture and river trade as most important. Through the early 20th century and until the 1970s,heavy industry such as steel mills and shoe factories drove the county's economy. Since these factories closed, Scioto County has lost jobs and revenue.
In the early 21st century, theservice industry and healthcare, such as the Southern Ohio Medical Center (SOMC), is the county's largest employer. Scioto County is home to Ohio's newest state university,Shawnee State University, which enrolls between 3,300 and 4,000 students and grants associate, baccalaureate and master's degrees. Much of the recent economic growth and change in the county is related to SOMC and Shawnee State University. Recently Infra-Metals announced the development of a new steel shipping/fabrication site inNew Boston, Ohio in the Bob Walton Industrial Park. The plant is under construction and will have access to both barge and rail loading facilities.
In November 2002, the PortsmouthUranium Enrichment Plant in nearbyPiketon was recognized as anANS Nuclear Historic Landmark by the American Nuclear Society.[19] It had served a military function from 1952 until the mid-1960s, when the mission changed from enriching uranium fornuclear weapons to producing fuel for commercialnuclear power plants. The Portsmouth Uranium Enrichment Plant ended enriching operations in 2001. It began to support operational and administrative functions and perform external contract work. All uranium enrichment in the area has been taken over by a sister plant inPaducah, Kentucky. Uranium enrichment functions had been shared by the two plants.USEC interests in the area remain strong, and theAmerican Centrifuge Plant was constructed in the first decade of the 21st century in Piketon. This commercial uranium enrichment facility was expected to employ up to 500 people and reach an initial annual production level of 3.5 millionSWU by 2010.
Scioto County has also been the benefactor ofSuncoke (coke (fuel) production).[20]Sole Choice, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of shoelaces, is in the county.[21]Graf Brothers Flooring and Lumber, the world's largest manufacturer of rift and quartered oak products,[22] has two satellite log yards in the county. Its main office is across the river inSouth Shore, Kentucky.[23]
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TheOhio University Southern Campus was in Scioto County until the early 1980s, when it relocated toLawrence County (Ironton).[citation needed] Shawnee State Community College used the former Ohio University buildings. The curriculum and facilities were developed to a full four-year undergraduate program and graduate studies, being established in 1986 asShawnee State University from the former Scioto County Technical College, Ohio's 13th and newest higher education institution.
Scioto County has ten publicschool districts, one career technical center, oneprivate school system, onecharter school system, and severalChristian schools. These districts include Bloom-Vernon (South Webster), Clay, Green, Minford, New Boston, Northwest, Notre Dame (Catholic), Portsmouth, Scioto County Career Technical Center (serving both K–12 and post-secondary students), Sciotoville Community School/East HS (charter), Valley, Washington-Nile (Ports. West) and Wheelersburg.
See alsoOhio High School Athletic Association andSouthern Ohio Conference.
ThePortsmouth Public Library was established as aCarnegie library in 1906. It now has four branches and a bookmobile to serve the county as well. The library has branches inLucasville,New Boston,South Webster andWheelersburg.[24]
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Scioto County is served by two major highways, the north–southU.S. 23 and the east–westU.S. 52. Other routes includeSR 73,SR 104,SR 125,SR 139,SR 140,SR 335,SR 348,SR 522,SR 728,SR 776, andSR 823.
Norfolk Southern offers a railyard for long-distance shipping and is currently reopening the repair shops.Amtrak offers a passenger service to the Portsmouth/Scioto County area under theCardinal route. Thepassenger station is located inSouth Shore, Kentucky, across theOhio River.
Scioto County offers air services with theGreater Portsmouth Regional Airport located inMinford, Ohio, which is approximately 14 miles (23 km) northeast of Portsmouth on SR 335. The nearest airport with scheduled passenger service isHuntington/Tri-State Airport (HTS) in West Virginia, about 60 miles (97 km) east of Portsmouth onI-64.
Public transportation for Scioto County is offered through Access Scioto County.[25]
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Scioto County is a dividing line of numerous television markets, which includes theColumbus,Cincinnati andHuntington-Charleston markets. Local television stations include WSAZ-NBC (channel 3.1), WZAS-myNetwork (myZtv channel 3.2), WOWK-CBS (channel 13.1), WCHS-ABC (channel 8.1) andWQCW, aCW affiliate with an office in Portsmouth and Charleston, and more recentlyWTZP-LD "The Zone", an America One Affiliate that offers more local programming, such as news, high school sports, community events and locally produced shows about the area. Local radio stationsWIOI,WPYK,WNXT andWZZZ serve the county and surrounding areas.
The county is also served by three newspapers. ThePortsmouth Daily Times is the county's only daily newspaper. TheCommunity Common is a free biweekly newspaper, and theScioto Voice is a weekly newspaper that is mailed to subscribers. TheUniversity Chronicle is Shawnee State University's student-led newspaper. Of these, only three are locally owned and operated (WTZP, WIOI, andThe Scioto Voice).
Scioto County had a series of semi-pro football teams in the 1920s and 1930s, the most notable being thePortsmouth Shoe-Steels, whose roster includedplayer-coachJim Thorpe. From 1929 to 1933, Portsmouth was home to a professional football team, The Portsmouth Spartans. This team later became theNFL franchiseDetroit Lions in 1934. ThePortsmouth Spartans also competed in the first professional football night game versus theGreen Bay Packers in 1930.[26]
The Portsmouth Explorers were one of the original baseball teams in theFrontier League, a non-affiliated minor league organization. The Explorers played in the league's first three seasons, from 1993 to 1995. In 1938, Portsmouth was also home to thePortsmouth Red Birds, a minor-league team owned by theSt. Louis Cardinals.
Shawnee State University (SSU) is a member of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA-Division II). It has participated in 24 national championships in 6 of 11 sponsored sports. The university's women's basketball team won an NAIA National Title in 1999 and finished in the final four in 1995.[27] The softball team has also had national exposure, reaching the "Sweet 16" on several occasions. The team finished 10th in 1992, 8th in 1995, 9th in 1996, and 9th in 2001.[28]
The 12 local high schools, the other educational institutions, the adult leagues, and the development leagues (e.g.AAU and club organizations) generate a great deal of participation as either participants or as followers of sports teams. The teams have made 60 trips to theOhio High School Athletic Association championships, winning 19 state titles. These have included four softball titles (Clay HS in 1980, 1981, & 1983 and Wheelersburg HS in 2016); five baseball titles (East HS in 1973, Valley HS in 1975, and Wheelersburg HS in 1996, 2012, and 2013); four football titles (two by Notre Dame HS in 1967 and 1970 and two by Wheelersburg HS in 1989 and 2017); and six boys' basketball titles (1931, 1961, 1978 and 1988 by Portsmouth HS and 2006 by South Webster HS).[citation needed]
TheVern Riffe Arts Center, on theShawnee State University campus, hosts many local and traveling performances, includingBroadway plays andMiss Ohio pageants. Scioto County is home to theBoneyfiddle Historical District (which is on theNational Register of Historic Places), SSU's Clark Planetarium, the1810 House,Greenup Locks & Dam, thePhilip Moore Stone House,Roy Rogers' Memorabilia Exhibit, theSouthern Ohio Museum, andSpartan Municipal Stadium.
Scioto County is best known for Portsmouth's "River Days" activities, which include a parade, a pageant associated with local high schools, boat races on the Ohio River (in the past), musical performances and a carnival. River Days occurs onLabor Day (the first Monday of September) weekend. Activities begin on Thursday evening and the parade and pageant is on Saturday.
The Scioto County Fair is held in the first full week of August of each year. It is one of the largest in the state, drawing approximately 75,000 visitors each year (the single-day record is 17,000).[29] The first county fair was held in 1828;[30] in 1908 Lucasville became the official site when three fairs (Mount Joy, Portsmouth and Lucasville) merged into one.[31] TheRoy Rogers' Homecoming Festival is held each June.
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38°49′N82°59′W / 38.81°N 82.99°W /38.81; -82.99
Places adjacent to Scioto County, Ohio | |
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Municipalities and communities ofScioto County, Ohio,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Villages | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
Education inScioto County,Ohio | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colleges and universities | | |
| High schools | ||
| Middle schools Junior high schools | ||
| Elementary schools | ||
| Others | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
